Panasonic develops a new gate design for GaN Power transistors

Panasonic developed a new gate technology for GaN Power Devices. The insulated-gate transistor allows a continuous stable operation with no variation in its threshold voltage. It’s called MIS, for Metal Insulated Semiconductor. While continuing to improve and produce its GaN GIT, Panasonic worked on this new type of GaN devices based on MIS gate structure. Hysteresis normally occurs in MIS type GaN devices. Here, Panasonic managed to obtain continuous stable operation, which is required to operate the devices at high frequency.

They announced a few of the characteristics:

  • Continuous stable operation: maximum gate voltage of +10V
  • Drain current: 20A
  • Breakdown voltage: 730V
  • OFF operation time of 1.9 ns and ON operation time of 4.1 ns

A mix of Panasonic previous GaN technology, and gate structure innovation

The transistor is based on some previously developed and proven innovation from Panasonic as their GaN-on-Si technology. This allows the breakdown voltage of 730V. They also developed a crystal growth process to from the recessed gate structure without defects or processing damages. This allows the normally-off operation with such a drain current capability.

Source: Panasonic

The new gate insulator is based on AlON (Aluminum Oxynitride). It suppresses the hysteresis phenomenon usually observed for such a gate structure, created by electron traps within the insulator.

No production or commercialization roadmap has been given.

Source

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